The Norman
 

Hello everyone
Its been ages since I visited this forum. I am so sorry. Life takes over with two small kids. But I do find time to paint. And sometimes it is hard to stop. I would very much like you to have a look at this painting and tell me what you think. Obviously it is not a commission, just an interesting face I liked to paint. Is it appealing or appalling?
All C&C welcome.

Thank you very much.
Oil on canvas, 12x12"

Hi Sophie,

A full story behind that face. It makes one stop to wonder what thoughts are being processed. The eyes look like they might be crying, but then the mouth is smiling. Intriguing.

Well, done - nice skin tones, good detail.

But since you put it in the critique section, I have one observation.
The top half of the face seems to appear flatter (less dimensional feel) than the bottom half. I think the main issue is less shadow there on the side of the face. Squint, and I think you will see what I mean. You might want to kick up the contrast, especially near the bridge of the nose.

Sophie,

The painting is delightful. You must have had a lot of fun with that weathered face. He looks to be laughing and squinting into the sun all at the same time.

Did you use a photo reference or work from life?

I find that the mouth is very convincing but I am troubled by the way the wrinkles twirl around the eye. It makes the eye seem to recede into the head. Take another look with a view to understanding the structure under those wrinkles- both in terms of the bone and the muscles attached to them. The bony ridges of the brow and the cheek bone are somewhat sunken in your image. This problem of showing the extreme convolution of the flesh while maintaining contact with the underlying structure is a challenge. But when done successfully it can produce a very captivating image. The human interest and intrigue of this image is noteworthy.

wow, thank you all so much! You have given me some excellent pointers. This painting has been on the (drying) wall for a couple of weeks now, but I will now look at it with fresh eyes and see if I can make some adjustments. The shading issue and the bone structure around the cheeks and the eyes are good points.
I used a photo for this painting.
Thank you all so much, again.
Sophie